Today I want to talk about something which is very important and that is Equality. What I mean by that is how we see OURSELVES in relation to other people.
I know it’s natural for us to compare ourselves with others, and I’ve certainly been guilty of that in the past myself. We worry that we are not as good as others, and occasionally can find comfort in the thought that we might at least be better than some other people.
The reality is that we should never allow ourselves to feel inferior or superior to anyone else. We should treat everyone the same, no matter who they are. The most important person to treat equally is ourselves.
Have you ever been in a situation where you found yourself tolerating a situation that you would NEVER tolerate if it were happening to someone else. Too many times we deny ourselves the respect and the self-love that we deserve. We feel somehow less important and less deserving than others.
You often find this in the work place. You see a friend or colleague being mistreated, and you immediately stand up for them and show them your support in saying this is WRONG! And yet if you find yourself in that exact same situation the tendency is to just let things be and say, well I don’t want to make a fuss.
But in this instance, you REALLY NEED to MAKE A FUSS! You NEED to show yourself that you love and respect yourself enough to say this is WRONG! This is the case whether it is in the workplace or with friends or anything for that matter.
When I look back on my Corporate Career, I have to admit that early on I fell victim to just putting up with things that were not right, just for the sake of not rocking the boat. I used to justify this by saying well this is just temporary and will help me build my career. In the end I lost out big time when the owner of a multi-million dollar business that I had helped to create, suffered a mental break down and in simple terms went NUTS!!! His destructive downward spiral sent the business that we’d both worked so hard to create bust in a matter of months. All of the promises that had been made, if I stayed loyal, came to nothing and I had nothing to show for all the hard work and sacrifices that I’d made. All up, I lost almost $250,000 in the process! Talk about learning the hard way!
From that moment on, I’ve always jealously guarded my own personal brand and doing so has served me well. Even in times when I’ve found myself having to make tough decisions.
I’ve been a Corporate Whistle Blower, lifting the lid on illegal things that were going on at one organisation I worked for. I’ve also had to make the tough decision to walk away from companies that weren’t aligned with my values and integrity. And ALWAYS, whenever I’ve made a tough decision, I’ve always picked up something better.
I’ve found this also applies to friendships. I just LOVE people, I like learning all I can from people, hearing their stories, their hopes and dreams and what makes them tick. You might say I have an insatiable curiosity for LIFE! I’m the type of person who’ll be ‘friends’ with anyone, but I’m careful and selective about who I allow into my CLOSE Circle of Friends. Close friendships are something you should cherish.
The thing that really got me into helping people with Life Coaching originally was that I was able to help so many of my friends. I’m the kind of person that would do anything for my friends and I’m always there to help them, but with some friends I’ve kind of got the impression in the past that I was just an alternative to scotch or rum! They would come running to me when they were down, the same way others turn to drugs or alcohol when they’re feeling down. I’d pick them up, dust them off and make them feel good about themselves again, and as soon as they’re feeling good again, they’d feel like they didn’t need my any more. So they’d discard me, go on their merry way until the next time that they needed me again and then the process would start all over again!
You are too valuable and too important to allow others to treat you this way. It’s very important that you imbed into your brain that you are no better or worse than anyone else. Some people would never want to feel that they are superior to anyone else, but they allow themselves to feel inferior to some people because they feel that person is somehow better than them.
It’s important that you realise that if you ever allow yourself to feel inferior to ANYONE you’ll also feel superior to someone else in another situation, and vice versa. You can’t have one without the other.
Treat others with the love and respect that you deserve for yourself and never allow anyone else to treat you any less than this. If you treat yourself with the love and respect that you deserve, then Life will also treat you with the love and respect that you deserve. Once you do this, you will find opportunities coming your way because YOU believe that you are worthy of them.
Here’s your homework, ask yourself if there are any times when you have found yourself in a situation where you were accepting less than you deserve. Are there any situations in your life NOW where you’re accepting being treated less than you deserve? Ask yourself, how could your life improve by refusing to accept anything less than ALL of the love and respect that you deserve from others and from life?
Let me know in the comments below…